Elk Grove couple reunited with missing dog for sale on Craigslist

SACRAMENTO - Ed Reyes and Ella Araullo have been desperately trying to get their Pomeranian Paige back after she went missing more than a week ago.

Late Wednesday night, thanks to a tip on an online community forum, the couple were reunited with their beloved pet at a home in Land Park. Paige turned up in the area of 12th Street and Cavanaugh Way earlier in the afternoon. She wandered into the garage of a resident who then posted her photo on the community forum.

"Our prayers are answered. It's Paige!" Reyes and Araullo said when they reunited with their dog.

Paige went missing on May 13 after she snuck through an open garage door. Reyes and Araullo searched their Elk Grove neighborhood around Laguna Park Drive, posted flyers, filed a report with Elk Grove police and called nearby veterinarians and shelters.

Then, someone alerted the couple to an ad on Craigslist.

"They posted: 'Pomeranian for sale, About 2 years old.' She's actually 8 years old. And, they want $500 or best offer," Araullo said.

The couple believed someone had their beloved 8-year-old Pomeranian and were hoping to make a fast buck by selling her.

"It looks like they're asking for ransom," Reyes said. "Looks like a dog-napper."

He tried to reach out to the seller. "I did for the first day, trying to buy it, but no response. He didn't respond at all."

Araullo tried to email the seller, "I hope you find it in your heart to return our dog." She said she even offered the seller big money, but still received no response.

Then, Wednesday afternoon, more than a week after Paige went missing, the Craigslist ad was removed from the site. Reyes and Araullo don't know why.

That night, after putting out a plea for help from the public, they saw the post on the Land Park community forum, with a photo of a black Pomeranian. When they went to check it out, they found Paige safe at the Land Park home.

The Land Park homeowner said Paige wandered onto their property and the person who dropped her off in the area was nowhere to be found.

Araullo wants to tell the person who initially had Paige: "Whoever you are, thank you. You had a change of heart."

"Whoever you are, thank you so much," Reyes added. "You brought our dog to a nice neighborhood with nice people."

An Elk Grove woman said her missing dog showed up on Craigslist. But she attempted to buy her dog back, the posting was taken down. (Wednesday, May 21, 2014)
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